


Hotel Bella Muerte

by HeyItsSkinny



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-18
Packaged: 2017-11-29 19:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/690495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyItsSkinny/pseuds/HeyItsSkinny





	1. Chapter 1

I came home from the store one evening and found one of the sights I loved to see.  Frank, my husband of four years now, sat on the couch with our three-year-old daughter, Helena.  Helena sat on Frank's lap as he read her "favorite story in the whole wide world"-- _The Cat in the Hat._   Frank smiled as he read to his little girl and she snuggled up under his chin comfortably.

"Hi, Daddy!" Helena chirped when she saw me walk inside.  She rubbed her hazel eyes with her tiny hands and yawned.

"Hi, Daddy," Frank echoed and kissed his daughter's head softly without taking his gorgeous hazel eyes off me.

"Hey, bunnies," I chuckled.  "Isn't it time for little bunny to get to bed?  It's almost nine."

Helena giggled.  She loved her nickname "little bunny."  Luckily, though, she didn't understand why her daddies called each other bunnies.  "Can't Daddy finish the stowy first?  He already made me put on PJs and bwush my teef."

I walked over to my family and sat down.  "Okay," I cuddled up to Frank, "but hurry up, Daddy.  I wanna go to bed too."  I kissed the scorpion on the side of his neck and watched him fight a shiver of pleasure.

Needless to say, Frank read the story without pause.  By the time he finished, Helena had fallen asleep with her head in the crook of his neck and her thumb in her mouth.  I lifted her out of my husband's lap and carried her sleeping body to her room with Frank following on my tail.  He pulled her princess bedspread and mint green sheets back so that I could lay her down.  Then he, in his instinctual motherly way, tucked in our little girl.  Frank caught my glance and grabbed my junk on his way out of the room.

Snarling with lust, I followed Frank across the hall from Helena's room into our own.  Once inside with the door closed behind us, he jumped up and wrapped his legs around my waist, rutting against my growing cock.

"Why would you turn me on with our daughter on my lap?" Frank whispered against my neck and made me shudder.

"Why are you so fucking attractive?" I mumbled against his neck and nipped the scorpion, causing a low growl to vibrate from somewhere deep inside him.

He grunted as I threw him onto the bed and pushed off my pants and boxers.  Frank, being the mother he was, pulled the sheets and blankets away before pulling off his own pants.  Before he could take off his boxers, though, I climbed atop him, pinned him to the bed, and pulled off his shirt.

"What are you up to?" Frank rasped, smirking.

As my answer, I crawled backward, licking, kissing, and nibbling at his tattoos as I went.  By the time I reached the waistband of his boxers, his cock pressed tightly against its fabric.  I kissed the bulge through the cloth and ran my teeth over it.

"Cocktease," Frank groaned and gripped my black locks in his tattooed fingers.

"I know," I laughed and let my hot breath graze over Frank's nether regions.

"Fucker!" Frank shouted and tugged on my hair reflexively before letting go entirely.  "If you're going to blow me, just do it!"  Frank's yelling made me mentally thank myself for getting this room sound-proofed when we renovated the house two years ago.  Otherwise, Helena would have indubitably heard the bunnies by now.

I pulled Frank's boxers over his rock-hard and leaking cock and then right off his legs entirely.  Tormentingly, I ran my tongue from the base, up the shaft, and over the head, making sure to flick my tongue over his slit.

"Fuck me," Frank moaned and gripped the sheets.

"Gladly,"  I smirked and reached over to the night stand, where I grabbed the bottle of lube and--uh oh.  "Bunny," I leaned down and kissed Frank softly, "there's no condoms."

Frank leaned up and pulled me down so our bodies pressed together.  "No problem.  Helena could use a sibling.  Your shirt has to go though."

I kissed my husband--even after four years that word still made me feel like a giddy little girl--and sat upright, unbuttoning and removing my black button-down shirt.  Knowing instinctively what to do, Frank lifted his legs to put them over my shoulders while I lubed up my fingers.

Frank gasped as I pressed one finger against his opening and he moaned when I pushed it inside.  A second finger joined the first and I scissored them around, grinning when I bumped Frank's prostate and he cried out.

"Gee, please," Frank whimpered once he caught his breath, "fuck me."

I smiled and acquiesced, removing my fingers and using that hand to cover my now-throbbing cock in lube.

Touching the tip of my dick against his opening, I risked a self-inflicted cockblock.  "You're sure, Frankie?"

Frank laced his fingers behind my neck and pulled me down for a soft kiss.  "Yes, Gerard.  Put a baby inside me."

That was all the reassurance I needed.  I pressed myself into Frank all the way to the hilt, then gave him a moment to adjust to being so full.  Once he gave me the okay, I began thrusting and hit Frank's sweet spot almost every time.  Each time I hit it, Frank would arch his back and cry out my name or obscenities or just nonsensical noises.

After a few minutes, I felt myself nearing the edge.  I spit on my palm--because God only knows where I put the lube--and began stroking Frank's dick in time with my thrusts.  He gasped and moaned at every movement and before I knew it, my rhythm faltered and both of us tumbled over the edge and rode out our orgasms.

Frank and I laid together for a few minutes, just holding each other close.  "I love you," I smiled and nuzzled his thick, dark hair.

"I love you too," Frank sighed blissfully with his head resting on my chest.

We didn't move for a few more moments, but I guess the sticky goo on our stomachs began to disgust Frank and he got up to fetch a wet wash cloth.  Once he returned, he wiped off my stomach while kissing me the whole time.  After he finished with that, he let me clean off his stomach and ass--so much lube--before he returned the washcloth to its home in the bathroom and returned himself to my arms.

With Frank in my arms, I fell asleep a happy man that night.

~

A few days later, Frank started suffering severe morning sickness.  At first, we figured it was a stomach bug I had brought home from work, but after another week it still hadn't gone away.  I brought a pregnancy test home when I next went to the grocery store and Frank took it.

When Frank showed me the test, I pulled him into my arms and swung him in a circle.  My Frankie was pregnant again!  We were going to have another little one!

Frank and I decided not to tell Helena about her future baby sibling until he started to show.  She was too young to be brought into that strange world of thought.

~

Over the next few months, I took careful care of Frank to make sure we didn't hurt the baby.  On the day of his seventeen week ultrasound, we dropped Helena off at Mikey's to avoid any unnecessary questions.  Frank and I climbed in the car after saying goodbye to our little girl and immediately began talking.

"Do you think we should tell Helena after this?" Frank glanced over at me.

"I don't know.  I guess it would be a good time to say 'Guess what? Daddy's having a baby!'  You're starting to show, too."  I didn't look over at Frank since I was driving, but I did reach over and grab his hand.  "Bunny, do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

Frank bit his lip--I could see it out of the corner of my eye--before replying.  "I don't know.  I'm hoping for a little boy.  A GJ would be adorable."

I laughed awkwardly.  "I don't think so.  I don't really want a Junior.  Sorry, Frankie."

"How about Arthur?  Helena Lillian and Arthur Anthony?  Then we both get our way.  You don't get a junior, but I get one that carries your name."

I smirked a little.  He wanted to use our middle names.  "Make it Anthony Arthur and it's a deal."

Frank hummed in thought.  "I'll get back to you on that after the ultrasound.  For all we know we're having another girl."

He leaned over and kissed my neck.  I smiled.  Frank was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to me.

"What will we name her if it's a girl?" Frank mentioned after a moment.

I sighed in thought.  "I'm not sure, Frankie.  I like Jennifer."

"Jennifer is nice."  Frank lifted his right index finger to his mouth and chewed on the knuckle.  "Jennifer Angelina?  I don't want to leave out one of my grandmothers.  They _are_ tattooed into my arm and watching everything we do."

"That's creepy," I laughed.  "I hope they don't watch us in bed.  If they do, they're probably kicking themselves up in Heaven."

We laughed until Frank grabbed his belly and gasped.

"Bunny, what's wrong?" I glanced over at Frank.

"Baby kicked me." Frank chuckled.  "Little bugger."

"Let me feel," I grinned, reaching my hand over toward Frank's belly again.

Frank laughed and just held my hand.  "Bunny, you won't be able to feel it.  Baby kicked in, not out."

I made a show of looking upset and pulled into the parking lot of the gynecologist.

"I hate the gynecologist," Frank muttered, "any time but this one.  This one is cool."

"Okay, Frankie," I chuckled and cut the engine.  Frank hopped out and slung his arm around my waist while we walked toward the building.

The baby kicked again and he grunted.  "If we have another kid," he mumbled, "you get to carry it around for nine months."

I laughed and kissed him lightly.  "Whatever you say, Frankie.  That would confuse the crap out of Helena and this baby, though."  I rubbed his tummy lightly, grinning as I felt the baby press a foot or something against my hand.

Once we entered the building, an overly joyful black woman behind the front desk greeted us.  Since Helena was conceived, the woman had taken great interest in our family, since we were the only gay couple in Belleville having children.  I think the woman's name was Loraine.

"Hello, Frank and Gerard," she grinned.

"Hello, Leanne," Frank smiled.  Frank had always been good with names.  I just remembered faces.  Apparently, her name was Leanne.

"Are you at five months already?" Leanne smiled, signing us in.

A huge grin grew across both of our faces.  "Yes," Frank squeezed my hand, "it's time we find out whether Helena's gonna have a baby sister or brother."

Leanne nodded.  "Well, the doctor will be with you shortly."

I led Frank over to two open chairs and Frank snagged a baby fashion magazine.  He opened it and immediately started fawning over the children in cute costumes.  Looking up from my beautiful husband beside me, I noticed a few women and three of their husbands staring at us with disgust.  It made me think of what Frankie always said: homophobia is gay.

Luckily though, a blonde nurse dressed in rubber ducky patterned scrubs leaned out the door with a bright grin plastered across her face.  "Mr. Iero and Mr. Way, we are ready for you."

Frank practically flew over to the waiting nurse and I followed ecstatically.

Most of the check-up was a blur to me considering I really wasn't interested in what was going on.  Until the ultrasound, that is.  Frank laid back on the table and the blonde nurse, Alexis she sad her name was, smeared goo all over his growing baby bump.

She moved the machine all around his stomach until she found an angle she liked.  "Look," Alexis said, gesturing with her free hand toward the monitor, "there's your baby.  You can see the head and the arms and legs and everything."

Frank lit up.  "So, is it a boy or a girl?"

Alexis smiled.  "It's a baby boy.  You're having a son."

Frank smiled at me.  "Yes," he stated.

I, who held Frank's hand by this time, was confused.  "Yes to what?"

"To the name.  I like it."

Alexis smiled purely.  "Congratulations."

Frank and I chattered happily the entire way back to Mikey's house and we were almost surprised to find other cars outside when we arrived.

Mikey answered the door with a smile, something it seemed he rarely did, and ushered us inside.  Frank and I walked into Mikey's living room to find it decorated as a baby shower.

"Congratulations!" everyone in the room shouted.  I looked around.  Frank's mother sat in the corner with mine; Ray and Christa stood over by the couch; Mikey's girlfriend, Alicia, sat in a chair over near what appeared to be vegetarian taco dip; Frank, Sr. sat in the recliner with a cup of punch with my dad standing beside him; and all of Frank's friends from high school stood around the room, chattering with whomever was closest.

Frank lit up when he saw all of his family and friends gathered in the room.  Helena ran up to us and I pulled her into my arms.  "Why di'in't you tell me eawliew?" she asked Frank.

Smiling, Frank kissed Helena's little hand.  "I wanted to tell you whether it was a brother or sister, little bunny."

Mikey put his arms around the three of us.  "Why don't you tell us all what it is?"

"It's a boy!" Frank grinned.

Everyone, Helena especially, cheered.   "I'm having a baby bwover!" she celebrated.  I smiled and set her back down while Frank walked over to the taco dip.

Ray came over and patted my back a little over-aggressively.  "Congrats, man," he smiled.  "Daddy of two."

I blushed and he walked away.  Frank, with a plate full of chips and dip, walked back over to me and leaned up so he could whisper in my ear.  "They're all asking me about the name.  Should we tell them?"

I contorted my face into a thinking position.  "Would you guys like to know the name we've picked out for our son?" I announced to the crowd.

Several people replied with affirmatives.  The others had mouths full of food, so they simply nodded.  Helena bounced up and down grinning and squealing, "Yes yes yes!"

I looked over at Frank, who told me to say it.  "Anthony Arthur Iero-Way," I smiled.  Frank leaned his head on my chest happily.

The rest of the party went pretty smoothly.  Frank spent a good deal of it sitting on Mikey's most comfortable couch, talking and eating.  I generally sat by his side, and then the presents came out.

"I hope you don't mind that we didn't get clothes or anything," Mikey apologized.  "We didn't exactly know the gender until now."

"Not a problem," Frank smiled and reached out toward one of the boxes, giving up when he realized it was too far away for him to reach without getting up.

I grabbed it for him and set it between us.  Frank opened it to find baby instruments.  He opened the others and found almost $300 worth of baby clothing gift cards, a baby food maker, a pillow to prop up the baby, several story books, and a Raffi CD collection.

"I remember Raffi," I laughed.  "Mikey used to watch our old VHS tape of him all the time!"

Mikey blushed.  "Brush your teeth, ch chch ch chch chch ch," he chuckled.

Frank and I enjoyed the party for the remainder of the evening, then I drove our family of three and a half home.  Helena took forever to fall asleep that night since her energy was so high.

~

Over the next month and a half, the baby in Frank's belly steadily grew bigger and Frank waddled more.  The night before Helena's birthday in January, Frank went out to buy the present he wanted to get her.  He insisted that I shouldn't come along and that he could pick the perfect puppy out all on his own.

Helena and I sat inside playing go fish on the floor while we waited for Frank to return.  When the clock struck nine, meaning he had been gone for over two hours, I started to panic.  The local ASPCA was only a fifteen minute drive and Frank had already signed for the surprise puppy the week before, so legality shouldn't have been an issue.

My blood ran cold when I remembered the horrible tires on the car he took and how slippery the road gets on late January nights.

I prayed that Frank was okay but worried that he wasn't, so I moved my sleeping daughter into our other car, a pick-up truck with four-wheel drive, and drove off into the night in search of my husband.

I didn't make it very far, though.  Only two minutes away, EMTs were loading a pregnant woman into an ambulance while a tow truck pulled the wreckage of a sedan from around a tree off the side of the road.  After watching for a moment, reality hit me like a two-by-four.  That was my car.  And the person on the stretcher wasn't a woman.  It was a man.  It was my Frankie.

Pulling off to the side of the road and cutting the engine, I pulled Helena into my arms and ran over to the scene.

A policeman stuck his arm out to stop me from approaching.

"I'm family," I cried.  "That's my husband!"

The man let me by and I ran over to Frank, who was already being hooked up to machines.  His hair was matted with blood and his pants were coated with some sort of clear liquid mixed with blood.  I wished Helena didn't have to be so close.  I was just happy she was still asleep and not seeing this.

"Sir," I addressed one of the EMTs, "my husband, Frank, is 33 weeks pregnant.  His pants are covered in fluid."

The man looked at what I had pointed out and shouted to the front. "This man is in labor.  We need to get him to the hospital, _now_."

I stepped off the ambulance and they drove away into the night.  Looking around the scene, I noticed a female police officer carrying what appeared to be a towel heap.  She approached me.  "Sir, I believe this must be your puppy."  The woman pulled back the towel to reveal an unconscious brittany puppy.  The striking thing about the puppy, though, was the way its front left paw laid.  "Its leg is shattered.  I would take it to a vet."

I nodded and took the puppy in my spare arm before returning to my truck.  Helena sleepily helped me get her back into her car seat and I placed the wounded puppy and its towel on the passenger seat before driving off into the night.

Helena's birthday wouldn't be so happy this year.


	2. Chapter 2

I spent the remainder of that night trying to find a veterinary clinic to take the puppy to.  Eventually, I arrived at a veterinary hospital.  Pulling Helena onto my right hip and holding the puppy in my left arm, I walked inside to be greeted by a young man at the counter.  He took one glance at the puppy in my arms and ran over to us.

"What happened?" the man asked, staring up at me with brown eyes through shaggy blonde hair.

"Car crash.  My husband is at the hospital already."

"Dude, I'm so sorry," the man apologized and took the puppy from me.  "If you don't mind, I'm going to take her back to our puppy ICU.  That leg is going to need to be amputated."

"That's fine.  As long as the puppy lives, she's lucky."  I bounced Helena on my hip a little bit.  "She's Helena's birthday present."

The blonde man contorted his face with pity.  Then, as quickly as he had run over to us, he disappeared through the double doors leading back into the hospital.

I sat with Helena in one of the chairs while we waited for the man to return.  After a few moments, he did and handed us a form to fill out about the puppy and her very brief history.

The first question was the puppy's name.  I woke Helena up so that she could name it and she looked at me funny.

"Little bunny," I kissed her head, "you need to name your puppy.  She's going to have three legs because she got hurt.  She's lucky to be alive."

Helena yawned.  "Heh name is Lucky."  Without another word, she laid back down on the chair and drifted back off to sleep.

The remainder of the form was fairly simple.  I filled out my name and contact information, Frank's name and contact information, and the basics on Lucky.  When I handed back the form, the blonde man asked me if I wanted to crop her tail while they were at it.  I said no.  Frank would have hated to cut her tail off.

The man explained what they had to do with the leg and explained that they would hold onto her for the next week until we could come see her again.

I thanked the man for taking care of Lucky and left.  In silence, I drove Helena and myself home to an empty house, where she slept in my bed that night.

The next morning, I received a phone call from the hospital, informing me that Frank was in the ICU, but he was stable and we could come see him.  The lady on the other end also informed me that the baby was delivered last night fairly healthy for a preemie, but he was in NICU and I wouldn't be able to see him until he was grown more.  She asked his name and I almost cried as I gave it to her.

After I got off the phone, I woke up Helena and made her a simple breakfast of cereal and apple juice.  Helena didn't say much as she ate.  She didn't know what had happened for the most part last night, but she knew that I was upset and that Frank wasn't home.

"Wheye's Daddy and baby?" she eventually asked.

I grabbed her little hand and tried not to tear up.  "They're at the hospital.  They're sick."

"Oh no!" Helena shouted and her eyes went wide.

"It's okay, little bunny.  They'll get better."  I took the empty bowl and cup from in front of her and placed them in the sink.  When I turned around, I found her already climbing the stairs.  "What'cha doing?" I asked and ran to catch up with her.

"I'm gettin' Daddy a teddy to keep him company."  I smiled when she returned a moment later with her favorite pink polka-dotted puppy dog.

"Let's go, Helena," I scooped her into my arms and carried her out to the truck.  She watched me in the mirror on the entire ride over to the hospital.  I felt bad, not being able to say anything without almost crying.  But I didn't want her to see her daddy crying.

When we arrived, a nurse led us up to Frank.  Considering the woman on the phone said he was stable, I assumed he was going to be awake albeit all wrapped up in casts and such.  Finding him unconscious and hooked  up to numerous machines, including life support, caught me entirely by surprise.

Before I could stop her, Helena ran over to the bed and climbed up next to Frank.  "Daddy?" she asked and her expression fell when he didn't reply.  "Daddy, why won't you answew me?  Wake up, Daddy!"

With tears in my eyes, I walked over and pulled Helena into my arms.  "Daddy's sleeping.  His body is making him sleep until he gets better.  Let's go home for now and we'll visit Daddy later."

Helena hiccuped and her lower lip quivered.  "I don't like when Daddy is sick.  It makes me sad."  She cried quietly and faced Frank again, pressing the stuffed dog into his closer hand.  "Get bettew, Daddy," she whispered and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

A tear slid down my cheek as I pulled Helena up into my arms and away from Frank.  "I love you," I whispered to him and walked out of the room.  I don't think Helena realized that it was her birthday.  I hope she didn't.  I just wish I knew what was going on in Frank's head.

~ POV switch ~

The day before Helena's birthday, I took Gerard's sedan out to go pick up Helena's birthday present: a little brittany puppy.  The streets near our home are windy and dark, so I tried to be as careful as possible.

At the shelter where I got the puppy, The red-headed woman running night shift asked me an assortment of questions about my preparedness for a dog and about my baby bump, too.  After no more than half an hour, she brought me the dog and I took her out to the car, setting her on a towel on the back driver's side seat.

As soon as we were on the road, the puppy fell asleep.  I didn't know puppies could snore.  It was adorable.  I knew it was late, so I started to drive a little faster on the roads.

Coming around one bend, the baby kicked me and I caught a patch of black ice and lost control, spinning the car and slamming my side against a tree.  The last things I remember before blacking out were the puppy crying out and a cheery voice coming from OnStar crash alert.

~

The next thing I knew, I was watching myself get hooked up to machines at the hospital.  And there was a massive slice in my stomach.  I almost smiled when I saw that they had avoided my tattoos.

But why was I watching this?  I called to one of the nurses.  "Excuse me, mam," I asked.  I even tapped her shoulder.  No response.

 _My baby_ , I worried.   _Is my baby okay?_

I ran for the doorway and found myself running through the door itself rather than the opening.  Now lost, I continued down the winding hallways until I found the NICU.  I didn't know for certain that my son would be there, but I figured I'd be optimistic and check there rather than the morgue.

I walked down the alphabetized rows of tiny children in heated cribs until I found the one I was looking for.  A. Iero-Way.

My son was beautiful.  Even though both of his legs wore casts and gauze wrapped the back of his tiny head, I could see that he had the littlest bit of baby peach fuzz and tiny little hands and feet.  I smiled.  At least he was okay.

Leaving my son, I walked back to the room with my body.

"Hey," a pretty woman with black hair and hazel eyes sat on a chair in the room.

I looked around for someone she could have been talking to but found no-one.  "Are you talking to me?" I asked.

"Of course, silly," the woman replied.  "M'name's Jamia.  I'm comatose too."

"Hey, Jamia," I walked over and shook her hand.  "I'm Frank.  Why are you stuck here?"

"I've actually been here for a while.  Medically induced.  Brain tumor."

I cringed.  "Ow.  Car accident.  My son is in NICU."

"That sucks," she apologized.  "You're the mother?"

"Yeah," I laughed a little.  "My husband will probably be here any minute now with my daughter."

We talked for a few more moments until Gerard walked in with Helena.

"Little bunny," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.  Forgetting about my lack of matter, I ran over and tried to pull my little girl into my arms.

Instead, she climbed up on the bed and talked to my body.  "Daddy?" she asked.

"I'm right here, little bunny," I kissed her head.

She didn't notice.  "Daddy, why won't you answew me?  Wake up, Daddy!"

I started to cry.  "I'm right here, baby!  I'm here!"

Gerard spoke to Helena and then she gave my body her favorite stuffed dog, Daisy.  I threw myself at my body in an attempt to force myself back to consciousness, but it didn't work.  My body had a kind of force-field around it that threw me across the room when I hit it.

My ears buzzed for a moment, but I heard the last thing Gerard said before he left the room: "I love you."

I sighed in longing.  "I love you too."

Jamia watched the exchange quietly and spoke after Gerard left.  "Come with me.  We can come back here later.  Close your eyes and take my hand."  I did as I was told.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a whole different world.

~ POV switch ~

I took Helena home to our empty house and flopped down on the couch, falling asleep almost immediately with Helena laying on my chest.

My cell phone ringing woke me up.

"Hello?" I mumbled sleepily and quietly, not wanting to awaken Helena.

"Hey, Gee, it's Mikey," the voice replied.  "How's everything?"

At that moment, I realized I hadn't told Mikey about the crash.  "Not good, Mikes.  You should come over here.  I want to tell you in person after Helena wakes up and gets off me.  You should have Alicia take her out for some girl time.  Helena doesn't know what's going on yet."

"It's her birthday, Gerard," Mikey scolded.

"You don't think I know that?!" I almost shouted.  "She's _my_ baby girl.  I just don't want to ruin her birthday for her.  We'll celebrate it after this mess is over."

I heard Mikey sigh on the other end.  "I'm coming over now.  Alicia will take Helena to the sledding hill or something."

"Okay.  See you soon."

"Bye."  Mikey hung up.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang and Helena still hadn't woken up.  I carefully rolled her off of me and onto the couch and then ran over to answer the door.  Mikey stood there with Alicia, who held a bag full of her snow clothes.

"Come in.  Helena is still napping."  I led them into the living room, where they sat on the couch that Helena wasn't on.

I sat down next to Helena and rubbed her back.  "Little bunny," I cooed, "Uncle Mikey and Aunt Alicia are here."  She made a noise in her sleep. "Wake up, Helena."  I kissed her little head and she stretched, hitting me in the face with her little fist.

Opening her eyes, she saw the visitors and grinned.  "Uncle Mikey and Aunt 'Licia!"  Helena ran over to them and sat between the two.

Mikey laughed.  "Your Daddy and I are going to have some boy time so you and Alicia can have some girl time."

Helena turned to face Alicia.  "Can we go sledding?  I saw the snow this mohning when we wehe dwiving."

"Sure," Alicia chuckled.  "Where do you keep your snow suit, Helena?"

Helena jumped off the couch and grabbed Alicia's hand, pulling her toward the front hall closet with our snow clothes.  Mikey moved over toward me but stayed on his couch.  "Where's Frank?" he whispered.

"Hospital."

Mikey's eyes went wide.  "Baby?"

I sighed.  "Not primarily."

He looked at me, confused.

"Car wreck.  He's in a coma.  Baby's in NICU."  I almost cried when I put the situation into words.

Mikey moved his position so he sat next to me and put his arms around my torso so that he pinned my hands to my chest.  "It'll be okay, Gerard.  Frank is strong.  He'll be okay.  You are strong.  The baby is both you and Frank, making him doubly strong.  Your family will be together again soon."  I did break down then.

Alicia walked back into the room, but saw me in tears and turned around.  "Let's go, Helena.  Daddy and Uncle Mikey are already in boy time."

"Bye, Daddy!" Helena shouted as she walked out the front door, holding Alicia's hand.

"Bye, little bunny," I choked out with fake happiness.

Once the girls were gone, I looked over to Mikey.  "Wanna hear the kicker, Mikes?  Helena thinks Frank's just asleep.  I wish I could hear him laugh again."

Mikey held me close in a tight embrace and let me cry.  After I started to calm down a little, he pushed me away enough to look in my eyes.  "Do you want to go see Frank?"

I nodded feebly.  "I want to hold my son, too, but he's probably too small and fragile."

Offering me his hand, Mikey rose to his feet.  "It's worth a shot.  If nothing more, we can see him."  I nodded and let Mikey lead me out to the garage, where he grabbed the truck keys off the rack of hooks wall and slid into the driver's seat before I could.

"You're not driving.  You've been crying too hard."  He pulled the door shut behind him.

I trudged over to the passenger side and climbed in.  "I hate when you drive my car, you know," I chuckled a little.

"Suck it up," Mikey smirked.

The first few minutes of the drive passed in silence, but eventually I spoke.  "Frank crashed after getting a puppy for Helena."

Mikey's eyes went wide, but his focus didn't change.  "Where is it?  Is it alive?"

"Yeah, yeah, she's alive," I clarified.  "She's at a vet getting her front left leg off.  It got crushed."

"That's terrible," Mikey frowned.  "This sounds weird, but does she have a name?"

"Helena named her Lucky."  I almost chuckled at my response.  Lucky was far from being lucky.

"That's cute," Mikey smiled slightly.  "Lucky the three-legged dog."

I sighed.  The rest of the ride proceeded in silence until we reached the hospital and found Frank's room.

Mikey had a similar reaction to me.  "Frank?" he asked, hoping my husband would miraculously wake up.  "Frank, you're making us all very worried and we just want you to come home and hold your son and daughter again."

I sat down on the side of Frank's bed and grabbed his hand that held the stuffed dog.  "I love you, Frank," I whispered.  "Come back to me."

~ POV switch ~

When Jamia told me to open my eyes, I found myself standing in the lobby of a beautiful hotel.  The floors in the lobby were checkered black and white floors and the walls were ornate mahogany paneling with deep green accents.  Golden banisters lined the large sweeping staircase leading to the second floor and when I looked up, I saw that beautiful paintings of angels decorated the ceiling around huge golden chandeliers.  On one wall of the lobby stood a marble fireplace surrounded by maroon and green chairs.  Bellhops bustled about carrying luggage from newcomers.  Guests relaxed and chattered happily with each other.  Even the woman behind the front counter looked like she was enjoying herself.

In awe, I took in my surroundings.  "What is this place?"  I had never seen a building this beautiful back home.

"Welcome to the Hotel Bella Muerte," Jamia smiled.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"You don't speak Spanish, do you?" Jamia laughed.  I shook my head.  She shrugged.  "Nonetheless, this is an escape from your body on Earth.  You could stay here forever if you want.  All you need to do is check in."

I looked around.  It really was beautiful.  But my family wasn't here.

Jamia noticed my hesitance and took my hand again.  "Let me give you a tour."

She pulled me up the staircase to the floor with the bedrooms and led me into one that she said was her own.  A king-sized bed sat in the middle of the large, well-lit room with bookshelves on either side.  Everything looked like it belonged in a palace with all its beauty.

Jamia then led me into the banquet hall.  "They hold balls here every night.  Sundays are masquerades.  It's quite fantastic, actually."

I nodded, taking in the immense hall before me.  In my mind, I imagined taking Gerard to a ball.  He had never really been one for big social events, though.

Before I could stop her, Jamia grabbed my wrist and pulled me out a set of French doors and into a massive courtyard complete with perfectly shaped plants and a massive fountain in the middle.

What struck me as interesting was the population of the hotel.  Everybody dressed differently.  Several people wore modern clothing, but some wore clothing ranging in fashions all the way back to Victorian styles.

I shrugged it off when I heard a quiet voice in my head.  The first voice was Mikey's.  "Frank?" the voice asked.

"What?" I replied aloud, trying to hear better.

Jamia looked at me.  "What is it?"

I kept listening but whispered a response.  "My brother-in-law."

"Frank, you're making us all very worried and we just want you to come home and hold your son and daughter again." Mikey continued.

"I'm trying, Mikey," I sighed.

Gerard piped up now, his voice slightly louder than Mikey's was.  "I love you, Frank.  Come back to me."

"I love you too, Gerard."  A tear slipped down my cheek.  I looked over at Jamia.  "Take me home."

She acquiesced.  When I arrived back in my room, however, I found it abandoned.

"Where'd they go?" Jamia asked.

I shrugged.

~ POV switch ~

I laid by Frank's side for a few minutes until Mikey walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder.  "Gerard, we should go.  Let's go see if you can hold your son."

I nodded and Mikey helped me up, holding around my waist as he led me out of Frank's room.  We asked a nurse for directions to the NICU and she gave us turn-by-turn instructions, which I appreciated greatly.

Five minutes later, we walked into the NICU to be greeted by a middle-aged brunette man with blue eyes.  "I'm Dr. Paul Morrison.  Who are you here to see?"

"I'm here to see my son," I sighed.  "Anthony Iero-Way."

Dr. Morrison nodded.  "Kate is his attending, if I remember correctly."  He called over a young, petite Asian woman.

"Yes, Dr. Morrison?" she asked politely.

"You attend the Iero-Way boy, correct?"

"Yes I do!" Kate smiled and turned to me.  "Anthony is the sweetest little thing.  Coos sometimes.  Right now we're mostly taking care of his crash injuries.  He's miraculously healthy for 33 weeks."

I smiled.   _He's healthy_.  "May I hold my son?"

Kate smiled.  "If you'll follow me, I can take you to him."

Mikey and I followed Kate through the rows of tiny infants until we arrived at my son laying in a heated crib.

Kate lifted Anthony out of his crib and handed him to me, explaining why his legs were casted and his head wrapped.  "His femurs broke in the crash and the back of his head got smashed in a little, so we're reshaping it.  We aren't certain if there was any damage to his brain or not."

I disregarded her final statement and looked at my son in my arms.  "Hello, Anthony," I smiled and kissed the crown of his tiny head.  "I'm so glad you're safe."

Mikey looked at Anthony from his position a few feet from me.  "He's so tiny," he stated.

"Four pounds even as of yesterday," Late added.  "He was born at 9:58pm on January 27."

"Come say hello to your nephew," I beckoned to Mikey.

He acquiesced.  "Hi, Anthony." Mikey smiled and leaned down closer to my baby boy.  "I'm your Uncle Mikey.  You have two amazing daddies and a great sister.  We can't wait to bring you home."

Mikey and I smiled when Anthony opened his eyes and cooed.  Backing up, Mikey pulled out his cell phone and took a picture of me holding Anthony.

"Anthony," I smiled when he looked at me, "I'm your Daddy, Gerard.  Your other Daddy, Frank, is getting better right now, but you'll meet him soon."

Anthony cooed and continued to stare in my general direction, but I felt like he looked more past me than at me.  His baby grey eyes looked so cute with the dark peach fuzz.

Kate approached me quietly.  "I'm sorry, but he needs to be fed now.  Would you like to do it?"

I nodded happily, taking the tiny bottle from her and sitting down on a chair nearby with Anthony on my lap.  As soon as the bottle touched his lips, he latched on and together we made quick work of the formula.  The whole time, Mikey sat a few feet away from us and took a video on his phone.

"I'm so proud of you, big brother," Mikey smiled once I handed the bottle back to the nurse and took to gently burping my son.  "You're so strong and you have two beautiful little angels to show for it."

I smiled.  I was lucky to have the wonderful friends and family that I do.  I was lucky to have an amazing husband who so graciously gave birth to our own two children.  I hoped he would wake up soon.

~ POV switch ~

I pondered where Mikey and Gerard had gone for a few moments before realizing that they probably went to visit Anthony.

Within a two minute jog, I arrived and watched as Gerard pulled our son into his arms.  The nearby nurse said something about the possibility of brain damage, but I didn't hear it clearly.  I walked over to my brother-in-law, husband, and son.  Anthony had his tiny eyes open and stared blindly in Gerard's general direction as he spoke.

"He's beautiful," Jamia said from behind me.

"I didn't know you followed me."  I didn't even turn to her when I spoke.

She appeared in my peripheral vision.  "Of course I did.  I had to see your little angel."

I watched the nurse hand Gerard a bottle, which he fed Anthony while Mikey video taped.  Smiling, I walked over to Gerard and sat beside him.

Jamia sat beside me.  "I see you don't want to join me in the Hotel."

"Why would I?" I responded.  "My whole family is here.  I can't leave them."

Jamia sighed.  "If that is your choice, then I guess I must leave you.  You chose life."

I watched as Jamia faded away to nothingness, then rose and walked back to my quiet, empty room.  My body still laid in silence and the heart monitor looked steady.

Sitting in one of the chairs, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

~

When I opened my eyes, everything was blindingly bright.  A buzzing sound plagued my ears.  Figures walked around my room and adjusted my body.

My _body_.  I was back in my body.

Even though I was awake, my body was still a prison.  I tried to speak, but I couldn't move.  I attempted to move my fingers, but it didn't work.

I sighed.  Actually, I just breathed like normal.  But that's close, I guess.

I watched two more people walk into my room.  I couldn't see them, it was too bright, but I could see that one was very tall and the other very small.

A high pitched voice cut through the buzz in my ears.  "Daddy!  You'we awake!"

_Helena.  My baby girl._

"Hi little bunny," I tried to say.  No sound came out.  Assuming the child was Helena, then the tall figure must have been Gerard.  I looked in his direction and caught his gaze.  He smiled.  My face twitched in an attempt to make a smile, but he saw and his smile grew.

"Daddy's still waking up," Gerard said and reached out toward Helena.  "Let's go visit Anthony and we'll come see Daddy tomorrow."

"Okay," Helena chirped and kissed me on the cheek.  "Hurry up and wake up, Daddy.  Anthony misses you."

I watched the two shadowed figures leave the room and then fell back to sleep.

When I next opened my eyes, it was dark in my room and something heavy laid on my chest.  I looked down.   _Woah, I can move._   To my right laid Gerard with his arm around my waist.  Halfway on top of me and on my left laid Helena, who snored softly.

I wiggled my fingers and opened and closed my mouth.  I smiled when it all worked.

"Gerard," I whispered to my husband laying next to me.  He stirred.  "Gerard, wake up!"

Gerard opened his eyes and his face lit up.  "Frankie!  Bunny, you're awake!"

I nodded and smiled when Gerard kissed me.  I had missed that.

"Little bunny, little bunny," Gerard cooed to Helena, "Daddy's awake!"

Helena muttered quietly and then rolled over so she knelt next to me.  "Daddy!" she grinned.  "Daddy, awe you weally awake this time?"

"Yes, little bunny, Daddy's awake."

Helena bounced up and down and giggled.  Gerard smiled and watched while sitting by my side.

I reached out and held his hand.  "What is the date?"

"February tenth.  Four in the morning.  We've waited to celebrate Helena's birthday because we wanted you to be there."

I nodded and watched as a nurse walked into the room and smiled at my consciousness.  "Let me get you a wheelchair," she smiled.  "You should go meet your son."

When she returned, Gerard lowered me into the chair, a difficult task with my massive left leg and arm casts, and wheeled me all the way down to the NICU, where Anthony lay cooing in his cradle.  Gerard brought him over and laid him in my good arm.

"Hello, Anthony," I smiled and kissed my son on his little head.  "I'm your other Daddy.  I'm sorry it took so long for me to come hold you, but I'm all better now."

Anthony smiled and made a little happy noise.  Gerard smiled and put his arm gingerly around my shoulders while Helena climbed up into his arms.

Handing his cell phone to the nurse, Gerard asked her to take a picture.

The camera clicked and we had our first full family picture.

~

I stayed in the hospital for the next few days while the doctors made sure that I was ready to leave.  On Valentines Day, I finally arrived home to another party thrown by Mikey.  This one was smaller, with only Mikey, Alicia, Ray, Christa, and my parents as guests.

As soon as Gerard wheeled me through the door, our puppy ran up.  I was almost shocked to see that she had only three legs, but she was still adorable.  I pulled her up into my lap.

"Heh name's Lucky."  Helena smiled at me.

"Hello, Lucky," I pet her fur and she yipped happily.

Gerard disappeared through the front door again and returned with a sleeping Anthony, who had been released with us too.

The party stayed relaxed, but I was grateful to have my family and close friends in one place.

I was finally home.

~

The next few months were difficult with the rehab and learning to walk again, but I enjoyed every step of my recovery and every ability I regained.

Less than a week after I returned from the hospital, we threw a party for Helena's birthday.  We took her to a kid-centered restaurant and I laughed as I watched Mikey follow her around the climbing towers to make sure she didn't fall.

Lucky took a great liking to Helena and Anthony and spent the night laying at the foot of Helena's bed.  She never seemed bothered by the fact she only had three legs.

Anthony grew quickly and made up for the fact that he was born early.  Within just a few weeks, he had gained over four pounds and grew almost four inches.  His eyes wandered and he never really looked at anything, but Gerard and I didn't think much of it.

Once I got my casts off, the first thing I did was curl up with Gerard and sleep the night away.  I had missed his embrace more than I could have imagined.

My family was happy.  I couldn't have asked for anything more.


End file.
